Zoo Logic
314 episodes - English - Latest episode: 23 days ago - ★★★★★ - 83 ratingsZoo Logic with animal trainer, zoo advocate, and ZOOmility author, Dr. Grey Stafford, is a weekly conversation with zoo, aquarium, and animal experts about Nature, wildlife, pets, animal training with positive reinforcement, health and welfare, research, conservation, and education, sustainability, zoo politics, activism and legislation, and all things animals! On Zoo Logic, we’ll go behind the scenes with animal professionals and influencers from around the world to explore the latest Zoos News and issues affecting wildlife, wild places, and people. Communicating with humor, cool stories, and candor, we’ll discover the interdependent connection between civilization, conservation, and commerce.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Dolphin Quest
May 12, 2022 08:00 - 29 minutes - 28.9 MBIn 1988 two veterinarians launched a dolphin facility on the Big Island of Hawaii that would help usher in a whole new experience between humans and bottlenose dolphins. That company, Dolphin Quest, has been a pioneer in creating guest interactive experiences based on science, conservation and education about the ocean environment and its most well-known cetacean ambassadors. Co-founder, Dr. Rae Stone pierced the once male dominated veterinary profession and lead the way in the use of ultras...
Entanglements
May 05, 2022 08:00 - 58 minutes - 55.6 MBNo one is immune from heart-wrenching video clips of animals in dire conditions, particularly a stranded marine mammal or one ensnared in ghost nets, crab traps, and other ocean debris. While most people want to assist wild animals in need, few of us are trained, experienced, and authorized to intervene in what can be an incredibly dangerous situation for both animals and humans. Keith Yip is an experienced animal care professional with decades of experience in husbandry, transport logistics...
Wildlife ACT
April 28, 2022 08:00 - 35 minutes - 34.9 MBAccording to its website, Wildlife ACT is a non-profit trust on a mission to save endangered wildlife and wild places from extinction. Its professionals, like our guest PJ Roberts, work in the field to monitor endangered and critically endangered species, including lesser known and appreciated animals like vultures. To assist in their conservation and fundraising efforts, Wildlife Act incorporates tourists as part of their data collection and monitoring services to protected areas in South A...
Avian Flu 2022
April 21, 2022 08:00 - 38 minutes - 37.3 MBIn a world weary of pandemic, we asked Dr. Yvonne Nadler, long time veterinary expert with the ZAHP Fusion Center, to describe the risks to animals from the latest strain of Avian Influenza. This year's strain appears more active than in recent years, which places the nation's poultry industry at greater risk. Other facilities like zoos and aquariums are at heightened risk of an outbreak due to accidental spread through public visitation as well as the mingling of collection and wild species...
Saving the Survivors
April 14, 2022 08:00 - 46 minutes - 44.7 MBThe animal care and veterinary heroes behind Saving the Survivors treat wild and endangered animals that are victims of poaching or traumatic incidents. Most of the organization's work has focused on caring for rhinos in the field that have been illegally and horrifically attacked by those seeking to profit from the animal's horns. According to the organization's website, many injured animals have been given a second chance after undergoing various interventions and multiple surgical proced...
The Future of Thailand's Captive Elephants
April 07, 2022 08:00 - 52 minutes - 49.7 MBIn her new book, After the Forests: Thailand’s Captive Elephants and Their People, Dr. Nikki Savvides explores the life and welfare of Thailand's captive elephants. Neither wild nor domesticated, these animals, once utilized in the country's now defunct logging industry, find themselves in a newer and uncertain industry: tourism. The book also examines the people who care for these elephants — including their mahouts, activists, conservationists, and tourists committed to improving elephant ...
Avian Behavior International
March 31, 2022 08:00 - 54 minutes - 52.2 MBShould families have long-lived animals like parrots as pets? Do owls make good animal ambassadors? The founder of Avian Behavior International, Hillary Hankey, works to ensure bird’s have better lives and to reduce behavior-caused stress for owners in the home. Bird training is complex and with so much random information online, she believes training them properly with positive reinforcement can be overwhelming to learn and even harder to implement. So she and her team created online and i...
African Wild Dogs
March 24, 2022 08:00 - 40 minutes - 39.3 MBFollowing his work in Kabul and Baghdad rescuing zoological animals caught in war zones, author and conservationist Brendan Whittington-Jones began a seven year stint studying endangered and often maligned African Wild Dogs. In his book, African Wild Dogs: on the front lines, he describes his work examining the behavior of this species once they leave the relative safety of protected reserves and venture out into human civilization. Brendan compares them to the story of wolves in North Ameri...
Lolita
March 17, 2022 08:00 - 31 minutes - 31.2 MBNot since Keiko or Tilikum has a killer whale garnered as much attention as the single orca resident of Miami Seaquarium known as Lolita. Estimated to be about 56 years old, she has lived at the park since the early 1970's. To learn more about this amazing animal, one of the park's longtime executives and eventual general manager, Andrew Hertz describes his family's interwoven history with the facility and its grande dame. Animal Care Software KONG Zoo Zoo Logic
War Zoos
March 10, 2022 08:00 - 49 minutes - 47.7 MBWhen Coalition Forces invaded Iraq in 2003, the security situation across the country and in major cities like Baghdad was grim. Amongst all the devastation of war, the situation for the Baghdad zoo animals was critical with starvation, dehydration, poaching, and shelling reducing the collection to a few dozen inhabitants. Along with his boss, South African Brendan Whittington-Jones, a game rancher turned captive animal rescuer, researcher and author, travelled to Baghdad with no money or i...
IMATA Live: Pandemic Lessons Learned
March 03, 2022 08:00 - 49 minutes - 47.6 MBAcross the globe, few have been spared the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of personal, public, and animal health, business operations, and travel to name a few. As animal professionals know having experienced it firsthand, public attractions like zoological parks were among the first and hardest hit facilities as the pandemic's effects on a mobile society grew. What were some of the earliest steps taken to blunt these outcomes? How did previous regional pandemics and disaster prep...
Save Seagrass, Save Manatees
February 24, 2022 08:00 - 23 minutes - 23.8 MBRecent news reports of state and federal agencies taking the extraordinary step of providing supplemental feeding to starving wild manatees point to a larger problem, the decline of vital seagrass beds due to runoff, coastal development, and dredging. Seagrass not only supplies nourishment to turtles and manatees, it is also used by countless aquatic species as a nursery and habitat. Beau Williams of Aquaticus Plants and Aquatech Eco Consultants discusses their efforts to sustainably source ...
One Special Penguin
February 17, 2022 08:00 - 30 minutes - 30 MBJust as the scope of the COVID 19 pandemic was becoming clear, the animal team at OdySea Aquarium realized their latest black-footed penguin hatchling was not achieving normal developmental milestones. While she was otherwise healthy and growing, the team observed "Rosie" was not progressing in her ability to stand or walk. Despite the impact COVID had on staffing, operations and the temporary closure of the aquarium, the team was committed to improving the mobility of this special penguin. ...
Remembering Richard Leakey
February 10, 2022 08:00 - 41 minutes - 39.9 MBSon of famous paleoanthropologists, Mary and Louis Leakey, Richard Leakey was also famous for his discoveries on the origins of early humans, particularly the nearly complete skeletal remains of what became known as Turkana Boy. As a Kenyan of British descent, Richard Leakey lived a fascinating life in East Africa as a researcher and conservationist. In 1989, Leakey was named the head of the Kenyan Wildlife Conservation and Management Department which eventually became what is known today as...
Parsimony
February 03, 2022 08:00 - 55 minutes - 52.4 MBWhile not a completely new phenomena, the COVID pandemic has exposed the public's lack of training in and understanding of the scientific method and the process of doing science. Increasingly, one's opinion or online search results are valued as much as someone else's peer reviewed data, according to returning guest, Dr. Jason Bruck. To guard against unsubstantiated, anthropomorphic narratives or rampant conspiracy theories, he argues we need a return to parsimony, the concept that the simpl...
Breaking the Laminated Glass Ceiling
January 27, 2022 08:00 - 43 minutes - 42.2 MBLast year, several major zoological parks named a woman to their organization's top leadership position. In some cases, these appointments mark the first time a woman has ever held the role of director at their respective institutions. As part of our ongoing conversation about increasing diversity in zoos and aquariums, Dr. Brandie Smith, recently named director of the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, discusses what this trend means to her and to future conserva...
Remembering EO Wilson
January 20, 2022 08:00 - 37 minutes - 35.9 MBBiologist EO Wilson has been called the heir to Darwin. His decades of work in evolutionary biology and island ecology has helped shape modern thinking about species conservation and the increased extinction risks associated with shrinking wild habitats. Science author Jeremy Hance had the opportunity to interview Dr Wilson a few years prior to his recent passing and shares insights into the legendary researcher's life, work, and legacy. Animal care Software KONG Zoo Zoo Logic
Remembering Betty White
January 13, 2022 08:00 - 24 minutes - 24.5 MBAs most fans know, the late Betty White loved animals and zoos. She routinely donated her time and support to zoos and aquariums and often shared the stage with her good friend, Jungle Jack Hanna. Conservation Ambassador's, David Jackson returns to describe what working with Betty was like on and off stage. Plus, the passing of another zoological icon. Animal Care Software KONG Zoo Zoo Logic ZOOmility
IMATA In Person
January 06, 2022 08:00 - 20 minutes - 21.1 MBAfter nearly a 3-year gap since its last annual conference due to the pandemic, the International Marine Animal Trainers' Association (IMATA) will soon host an in-person conference in Chicago. The timing couldn't be better with 2022 marking the 50th anniversary of the animal training organization. Madelynn Hettiger, animal manager with the Shedd Aquarium and IMATA VP responsible for planning the conference discusses the lineup of speakers, workshops, and events. That Sounds Wild: mini donk...
Sahara Conservation Fund
December 30, 2021 08:00 - 44 minutes - 42.6 MBDedicated to preserving animals uniquely adapted to survive the hottest, driest, and sparsely vegetated desert for which it is named, the Sahara Conservation Fund works to preserve habitat and to reintroduce critically endangered species to the wild. SCF CEO John Watkin describes the organization's successful cooperation among zoos, field biologists, governments and supporters to maintain nationally protected areas and build productive breeding and return programs with species on the brink o...
Dissecting the LRS
December 23, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 61.5 MBRecently, Zoo Logic was invited to participate in an online international Cooperative Care Conference conducted by the behavioral team at ZooSpensefull. Our topic was a focused look at the enigmatic Least Reinforcing Scenario with one of the architects of the behavioral tool, Ted Turner. After more than 30 years, why is there ongoing debate about the LRS? Why do some still conflate the LRS with a timeout? More importantly, what are the behavioral laws that form the basis for the LRS and its ...
The Lion in Winter
December 16, 2021 08:00 - 36 minutes - 35.1 MBOn a cold day sixteen years ago, a months old bottlenose dolphin calf was severely entangled by a crab trap. Thanks to a quick thinking fisherman notifying rescuers, the young animal was eventually freed from the strangling ropes and taken to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium for recovery. The constriction of blood flow to her tail led to the loss of her flukes and marked the beginning of an extraordinary tale of survival and perseverance by a small cetacean the world would eventually come to k...
GRAZE
December 09, 2021 08:00 - 14 minutes - 15 MBAnimal professionals often experience great highs in their work from the birth of an endangered species to the smiles on the young faces of future conservationists. Yet, animal work is often heavy with the sadness of losing a dear animal or frustration at the slow pace of societal change for the better. To help individuals and institutions better navigate the chronic and acute mental health aspects of animal work, our guest Erin McNally, helped create GRAZE: Growing Resiliency for Aquarium a...
Animal Actors
December 02, 2021 08:00 - 54 minutes - 51.6 MBAfter some 30 years as an animal trainer and agency owner working in film, TV, and print, Cris Rankin has worked with dozens of domestic, exotic and native species from skunks to scorpions. What is the life of an animal actor like and what steps does Chris take to ensure the well-being of the animals while on set, as well as, between gigs. How has animal wrangling changed during her career and does she think computer technology will eventually replace all animal actors? Animal Care Softwa...
Ailing Forests
November 25, 2021 08:00 - 39 minutes - 38.2 MBHealthy forests provide immeasurable benefits to humans, animals and ecosystems from capturing carbon to preventing erosion and preserving water tables, just to name a few. So it is important to understand the complex and interconnected layers of threats trees face today. Forest health specialist, Aly McAlexander from Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management describes the deleterious effects stemming from years of mega drought, bark beetle infestation, and 100 years of fire suppres...
Talk Turkey
November 18, 2021 08:00 - 44 minutes - 42.4 MBRandy Babb is a retired wildlife biologist, author, and educator having spent his long career with the Arizona Game and Fish Department. As the year end holidays approach, he discusses the iconic wild turkey, the importance of preserving species and habitats, and the positive influence that changing demographics of wildlife biologists promises for the future of conservation efforts. Plus, we remember Winter, the special bottlenose dolphin whose story of survival touched the world. Animal...
"Fill the Tank," a Conversation with CNN's Clarissa Ward
November 11, 2021 08:00 - 41 minutes - 39.6 MBThe events of 9/11 had a profound effect on a young Clarissa Ward's career plans and ultimately led her on path to becoming an award winning journalist with a focus on covering conflict zones. From the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to the devastation of civil war in Syria, she describes her dangerous work and its impact on her personally, in her book, On All Fronts. Currently serving as CNN's Chief International correspondent, we discuss some of the personal and professional challenges and si...
Mazuri Exotic Animal Nutrition
November 04, 2021 08:00 - 43 minutes - 41.7 MBModern zookeeping involves an array of disciplines from veterinary medicine and operant conditioning to species specific nutrition. Founded in 1989, Mazuri, which means "good" in Swahili has researched, developed and brought to market exotic animal diets across the spectrum of avian, reptile, insect, fish and mammalian species. Our guest, Dr. Troy Tollefson joined the Mazuri team after studying the dietary needs of bears and later serving as nutritionist at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens. He des...
Exactly How Many Big Cats ARE in the US?
October 28, 2021 08:00 - 48 minutes - 46 MBFor the past few decades, an unsubstantiated narrative which suggests as many as 10,000 big cats are living in backyards across America has been repeated without evidence. The poorly understood and tracked presence or absence of so many endangered and dangerous felines has implications for policymakers and conservationists alike. To help shed some light on these issues, frequent Zoo Logic contributor, Rachel Garner discusses her recent peer-reviewed paper on the number of big cats found in U...
To Be Accredited or Not To Be?
October 21, 2021 08:00 - 46 minutes - 44.7 MBRecent headlines about major zoological institutions not retaining their accreditation status have raised troubling questions about the inspection process, the role of trade associations, and the relevance of peer-reviewed seals of approval. As a zoo professional with more than 40 years of experience, Brad Andrews has not only overseen the largest zoological collection in the world, he has served in leadership roles among several North American and European trade and third party animal welfa...
The Welfare and Ethics of Public Display of Dolphins
October 14, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 63.5 MBAn all-star panel of researchers, Heather Hill, Jason Bruck and Isabella Clegg discuss and debate a recent published essay in the Journal of Applied Animal Ethics Research by Dr. Clegg in which she explores what the future may hold for the public display of cetaceans. Dr. Clegg asserts that "...any industry that uses animals must largely align their ethical position with that of the general public: ‘the mainstream social ethic’." In response, Drs. Hill and Bruck ask what if the public's pre...
"Spectacular" Afghanistan
October 07, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 58.3 MBDr. Alex Dehgan is the cofounder and CEO of Conservation X Labs as well as author of the book, The Snow Leopard Project and other adventures in war zone conservation. His policy and field work have taken him to 80 countries over his distinguished career, which includes time in the Obama administration and the Wildlife Conservation Society. Perhaps no country in his portfolio means as much to this conservation biologist and innovator as Afghanistan. Despite the false narrative from decades of...
Ape Dates
September 30, 2021 08:00 - 31 minutes - 30.4 MBA recent science publication describes the social bonding that seems to occur among male chimpanzees towards the alpha male that has the effect of enabling less dominant males access to females. The data is based upon nearly 40 years of longitudinal observations of our closest relatives made at Gombe National Park in Tanzania. Primatologist Dr. Samantha Russak from Tanganika Wildlife Park discusses the implications of the study for understanding early humans as well as the conservation impor...
Be a Better Cog
September 23, 2021 08:00 - 34 minutes - 33.5 MBAt age three, future animal care professional, Mike Dech, discovered a love of sharks. So much so that by age twelve, he earned his SCUBA certification, which has served him well in his zoological career, as a hobby, and as a growing side business teaching new generations of divers and leading offshore excursions. Mike shares his insights after a lifetime of exploring his home state of Florida's reefs and offers advice to those looking to grow personally and professionally by pursuing their ...
IUCN World Conservation Congress
September 16, 2021 08:00 - 45 minutes - 43.7 MBBill Street, Sr VP at Indianapolis Zoo describes attending the recently concluded International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress held in Marseilles, France. The IUCN is organized by taxa to address global preservation issues affecting the survival of animal, plant and fungi species. It publishes the well known Red List database which lists species according to their current population status such as endangered, threatened or least concern. The work to ass...
Dolphin Welfare Study
September 09, 2021 08:00 - 32 minutes - 32.2 MBChicago Zoological Society's Dr. Lance Miller is one of the principle investigators of a recently published comprehensive Dolphin Welfare Study. Using new technology and software to track study animals, researchers examined physiological and behavioral metrics for dozens of cetaceans from more than 40 AMMPA and AZA accredited facilities across 4 continents to better understand the factors that contribute to improved animal welfare. Such factors include habitat size, access to environmental e...
Good Zoo News
September 02, 2021 08:00 - 27 minutes - 27.3 MBIn search of some happier news to amplify, we turned to San Antonio Zoo director, Tim Morrow and American Humane President and CEO, Dr. Robin Ganzert. Tim describes how his local community responded to support the zoo during the financial hardships posed by COVID-19, so much so, that recently, staff members were reimbursed for lost wages from a year ago. Robin shares her great news about the passage of the Paws Act, a new federal law that funds the Veterans Administration's pilot project ...
Everything We Do Is Training
August 26, 2021 08:00 - 42 minutes - 41.3 MBDenver Zoo behavioral manager, Heather Genter describes her lifelong passion for animal training. Starting out with her own dog training business, she graduated to working with exotic species at a time when zoos didn't have behavioral managers and it seemed only sea lions and elephants were being trained. Following the operant conditioning and positive reinforcement principles she learned training dogs and by observing the sea lion keepers, she began working with spider monkeys to teach them...
Building a Culture of Excellence
August 19, 2021 03:19 - 41 minutes - 40 MBWithin days of opening the new Mississippi Aquarium in 2020, hurricane zeta made a nearly direct hit on the Gulfport attraction. While the harrowing experience left some damage to the campus shade structures, a larger lesson had been learned. The staff, exhibits, and disaster planning had withstood the test of a category 3 storm in a region once completely devastated by Katrina. As a result of the confidence stemming from weathering the storm, the newly formed aquarium team went on to handl...
The Legacy of Stella the Sand Tiger Shark
August 12, 2021 08:00 - 35 minutes - 34.9 MBDr. Alexa Delaune, Vice President of Veterinary Services at the Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport discusses her career, the challenges of launching a brand new zoological facility, and a very special patient named Stella. When the sand tiger shark developed a bulging spine affecting her health and well-being, Dr. Delaune reached out to colleagues in animal and human medicine for treatment and surgical solutions. Within 48 hours, a team of professionals assembled to conduct the first of its ki...
Clicker Training Your Cat
August 05, 2021 08:00 - 42 minutes - 40.9 MBAnimal trainer Stephanie Mantilla has a new book How to Clicker Train Your Cat, which draws upon her many years working with exotic animals including cheetahs, hoofed animals, primates, and even elephant shrews! While COVID and raising a toddler may have put her client work on hold temporarily, Stephanie continues to encourage cat owners to refrain from labeling their pets as stubborn in favor of recognizing and appreciating the behavioral and natural history differences between cats and dog...
Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo
July 29, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 70.7 MBSanta Fe College Teaching Zoo director, Jonathan Miot describes the 50-year-old program designed to train the next generation of zookeeping professionals. While college level zookeeping programs have grown in number over the past few decades, few academic institutions can lay claim to operating their own accredited zoo. What qualities and skill sets produce a successful zookeeper? How can professional degree programs contribute to a more diverse workforce across the zoo and aquarium industr...
Chuck & Ted's Excellent Training Adventure part 4
July 22, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 62 MBBack by listener request, long time behaviorists and marine mammal experts, Ted Turner and Chuck Tompkins return to discuss the finer points of reinforcement schedules, tips for those hoping to change the training culture at their facility, and the politics and prospects for the recently stranded orca calf in New Zealand. LRS Episode That Sounds Wild: tiger play. Conservation Ambassadors Animal Care Software KONG Zoo Zoo Logic ZOOmility
Sea Turtles
July 15, 2021 08:00 - 57 minutes - 54.2 MBDespite being an ancient species, we still have much to learn about sea turtles, in part, because they spend most of their long lives at sea. We usually only hear about them or get a glimpse when the females come onshore a few weeks each spring and early summer to lay eggs or when groups of turtles are trapped in northern waters at the onset of winter in a cold stunning event. Dr. Joe Pfaller, research director for the Caretta Research Project discusses his field research with loggerheads at...
Pacific Marine Mammal Center Turns 50
July 08, 2021 08:00 - 49 minutes - 47.8 MBSpring and summer represent the peak season when newly weaned seals and sea lion pups strand along the California coastline. Celebrating its 50th year, the Pacific Marine Mammal Center has rescued, rehabilitated, and returned approximately 10,000 animals since its humble start by a concerned lifeguard prior to the creation of the landmark conservation legislation known as the Marine Mammal Protection Act. While many marine mammal populations have recovered in recent decades, threats to their...
The Life of a Zoo Spokesperson
July 01, 2021 08:00 - 43 minutes - 41.4 MBAs Director of Communications for one of the largest zoos and aquariums in the western US, Kristy Morcom relies on her animal care and training experiences like barrel racing horses, being a mother to young kids, and her nurturing personality to share wild animal and conservation stories through print, radio, television and increasingly, social media. Given the scrutiny and criticism zoos often face today by a small but vocal minority, Kristy advocates for building relationships with the com...
Childhood Asthma to Olympic Champion
June 24, 2021 08:00 - 42 minutes - 41.3 MBAmy Van Dyken-Rouen holds the record for being the first American woman to win 4 gold medals in the same Olympic Games. As a child suffering from severe asthma, Amy took up swimming to improve her lung capacity and breathing, which enabled her to become part of a team and do the the kind of things kids like to do. By high school, Amy narrowly missed out on qualifying for the 1992 games. She spent her college years training and qualifying for the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games, winning a total o...
Brevard Zoo...and Aquarium?
June 17, 2021 08:00 - 33 minutes - 32.7 MBBuilt along America's Space Coast, the Brevard zoo has an entrepreneurial history with a focus on local conservation. Located so close to the world's busiest space center, which is also home to some of the few remaining acres of near pristine Florida habitat and biodiversity, Brevard zoo is planning on building the only aquarium along the I-95 corridor. Zoo director, Keith Winsten, hopes to tap into the region's advanced technology expertise to help with next generation solar power and batte...
Epigenetic Clock for Cetacean Conservation
June 10, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 60.3 MBAs we age, our DNA begins to show signs of degradation. Physiological mechanisms to protect and preserve DNA from the effects of internal or external factors such as environmental pollutants grow less effective. By studying age-related changes to DNA at specific sites conserved within and across species, scientists have developed epigenetic clocks which are strongly correlated with chronological age in humans and several mammalian species. Validated epigenetic clocks from known age animals, ...
Starving Manatees & the Indian River Lagoon
June 03, 2021 08:00 - 59 minutes - 56.2 MBThe past year has not been kind to manatees along the Florida coastline. While years of public educational programs and law enforcement seem to have stemmed the tide of animals killed by boat propeller strikes, a new and greater threat has emerged resulting in record manatee deaths. As a result of poor coastal water quality and clarity, the sea grasses that these gentle, slow moving herbivores rely on for survival are vanishing. Nowhere is the situation more dire than the complex and fragile...